of course you can shoot non rifled out of a smoth bore barrel, but why no buy rifled slugs? In many cases they are cheaper because the high end market is for rich peoples sabots to go through rifled barrels.

and you should be asking your father or go to a hunting class, a 18 year shot his best friend in the back with a shotgun here, no safety on walking behind his friend in the woods, he died... less then 2 foot away

and you should be asking your father or go to a hunting class, a 18 year shot his best friend in the back with a shotgun here, no safety on walking behind his friend in the woods, he died... less then 2 foot away

Not all chokes are removable Trinity. Some shotguns have a permanent choke in the muzzle. If the shotgun you're dealing with has a choke it will say so on the side of the barrel near the chamber gauge stamp.

in most cases, correct. however, in the past decade or so many manufacturers have sold "slugsters", or "deer hunters" with a rifled barrel specifically for the firing of slugs (they also sell replacement barrels that are rifled). you can also on occasion find old brit "paradox" shotguns (much more likely in former brit colonies than here in the states) which are rifled for the last few inches of the bore. these are almost entirely made with barrels that were only proofed for black powder loads, though, so they should NEVER be fired with modern ammo (unless of course you are enamored with the idea of picking chunks of barrel out of your face). if you do find a paradox gun, they are highly collectable.

in most cases, correct. however, in the past decade or so many manufacturers have sold "slugsters", or "deer hunters" with a rifled barrel specifically for the firing of slugs (they also sell replacement barrels that are rifled). you can also on occasion find old brit "paradox" shotguns (much more likely in former brit colonies than here in the states) which are rifled for the last few inches of the bore. these are almost entirely made with barrels that were only proofed for black powder loads, though, so they should NEVER be fired with modern ammo (unless of course you are enamored with the idea of picking chunks of barrel out of your face). if you do find a paradox gun, they are highly collectable.

Quoting: Anonymous Coward 27573720

Interesting. I'm not much of a gun person (besides we have very limited choice and guns and ammo are very expensive in OZ) but the ins and out of it all are interesting.

Couldn't you just drop some of the modern powder load from the slug to match the power of a black powder load and safely fire it?

Not all chokes are removable Trinity. Some shotguns have a permanent choke in the muzzle. If the shotgun you're dealing with has a choke it will say so on the side of the barrel near the chamber gauge stamp.

Quoting: Anonymous Coward 23766809

In case he does not get to it, rifled slugs are relatively safe to shoot even if the barrell is permanent improved or modified choke. the groves allow gases to pass even if the choke flattens the threads somewhat on the way out.

Doesn't seem like it causes any permanent damage, so I suppose in a pinch if you "HAD" to..

Quoting: Anonymous Coward 6439499

if it's soft shot, no damage at all. here in the states, we also have steel shot loads for waterfowl. steel shot should NEVER be fired out of a rifled barrel. it has nothing to do with safety, but the hard steel will play hell with the rifling. however, if you are shooting birds, it will best be at conversational distances, as the wide open pattern will pretty much insure a miss, or a hit by a couple of pellets but not killed outright bird.

Yep, rifled slug through a rifled barrel will wobble, and be less accurate. A non-rifled slug through a smooth bore barrel will not spin- will have very poor accuracy, like a 16h century musket. It will wobble, tumble and fall. A slug of either kind through a choked barrel will BLOW UP IN YOUR FACE! and ruin a perfectly good shotgun, the day, and quite easily the rest of your life. Be careful.

Educate and inform the whole mass of the people... They are the only sure reliance for the preservation of our liberty.Thomas Jefferson

You should be able to hit a door sized target at 200 yards with a smooth bore 12-20 gauge using slugs. It still has enough energy at that distance to kill most any game. A practical shot with good results would be up to about 75 yards. At up to 50 yards they are pretty accurate. I would recommend a 20 gauge slug gun, rifled barrel, for big game using sabot slugs at the longer distances. Use the smooth bore when using shot. The smooth bore shotgun does well enough though using slugs or shot for most purposes. Many shotguns can use a variety of barrels that are easily exchanged. An advantage to using a shotgun is that ammo is readily available and easy to reload. The are also the least regulated. Using slugs they are a vary deadly short range weapon.

A while back i was watching the walking dead and the kid got shot by a deer hunter, yep, i shit you not.

Quoting: Anonymous Coward 24156714

The woods are dangerous during hunting season especially if its near a big city. I was in the country store getting a breakfast sandwich and a cup of coffee and asked a guy with a vest and a license if he got anything. He said he got a couple of rustle shots but that was it. I asked what is a rustle shot and he said he heard something in some bushes so he shot at it. I kid you not!